Anti-Bullying Week 2025 – Theme Power for Good and Key Dates

Anti-Bullying Week 2025 returns from Monday 10 November to Friday 14 November, with the theme “Power for Good.” Organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, the campaign encourages children and young people to use their influence to challenge bullying and support others. Odd Socks Day kicks off the week on Monday 10 November.

The week is a key event in the UK school calendar, providing resources, assemblies, and activities to promote kindness and inclusion. Schools across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland participate, with Scotland running a separate campaign through RespectMe.

When is Anti-Bullying Week 2025?

• Anti-Bullying Week 2025 focuses on empowering individuals and communities to use their influence positively (“Power for Good”).
• The week kicks off with Odd Socks Day to celebrate uniqueness and start conversations.
• Resources are freely available from the Anti-Bullying Alliance, BBC Teach, and RespectMe (Scotland).
• Schools, youth groups, and workplaces can participate with assemblies, lessons, and social media campaigns.
• The theme encourages both children and adults to take action against bullying in daily life.

What is the Theme for Anti-Bullying Week 2025?

The 2025 theme, “Power for Good,” was chosen after consultation with teachers and pupils by the Anti-Bullying Alliance. The message is that everyone has some form of influence — at school, at home, in friendship groups, and online — and can use that influence to challenge bullying safely and positively. The Anti-Bullying Alliance’s video announcement stresses that “lasting change needs all of us” and that the goal is to use “Power for Good to end bullying — for good.”

What Does ‘Power for Good’ Mean?

The campaign encourages children and young people to recognise that they have the power to help stop bullying by speaking up, supporting others, and creating positive change both online and offline. Key ideas include speaking up when bullying happens, supporting peers who are targeted, using kindness, respect, and empathy, recognising bullying in both in-person and online settings, and taking small actions that can make a big difference.

Why Was ‘Power for Good’ Chosen?

The theme marks a shift from reactive messages about reporting bullying to proactive ones about using influence constructively. Previous themes such as “Choose Respect” (2024) and “Make a Noise About Bullying” (2023) also emphasised action, but “Power for Good” specifically frames every individual as an agent of positive change, not just a bystander.

What Resources are Available for Anti-Bullying Week 2025?

Official School Packs from the Anti-Bullying Alliance

The Anti-Bullying Alliance provides free teaching resources and themed assemblies for schools. The materials include a primary school pack, a secondary school pack, classroom activities, teacher guidance, assembly ideas, and resources for Wales-specific school use. These are available on the Anti-Bullying Alliance website.

Mentally Healthy Schools Toolkit

Mentally Healthy Schools published a PDF toolkit for Anti-Bullying Week 2025 that gathers practical resources around the “Power for Good” theme. It highlights power, respect, empathy, confidence-building, belonging and inclusion, student voice, and whole-school culture work. The toolkit can be downloaded from the Mentally Healthy Schools website.

RespectMe Resources for Scotland

Scotland’s respectme service published its own Anti-Bullying Week 2025 materials under the theme “Bullying – The Power of One.” These are separate from the ABA campaign but still relevant in the broader UK anti-bullying landscape. RespectMe offers new films, learning resources, live lesson recordings, and downloads for primary and secondary learners. Visit the RespectMe website for details.

Activities for Primary and Secondary Pupils

For primary pupils, suggested activities include exploring what it means to be a good friend, identifying unkind behaviour, and learning how to make positive choices. For secondary pupils, the focus is on using voice and influence positively, discussing online bullying, and developing empathy and respect through guided discussion. Whole-school activities include Odd Socks Day, student-led assemblies on kindness and inclusion, creating a kindness campaign, encouraging staff reflection on belonging, and inviting students to lead peer awareness actions. The BBC Teach resources offer additional lesson plans for both age groups.

What is Anti-Bullying Week and Who Organises It?

Anti-Bullying Week is an annual campaign coordinated by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, a coalition of organisations working together against bullying. The initiative is supported through free school-facing materials, assemblies, and campaigns. It is designed for primary and secondary schools, and wider school communities including staff and families. The campaign is important because bullying can happen in school, outside school, and online, and positive action from pupils, staff, families, and communities is needed to make lasting change.

What About Anti-Bullying Week 2026 and Future Themes?

Anti-Bullying Week 2026 will take place from 16–20 November 2026 with the theme “Break the Silence.” Looking back at recent years provides context for how the campaign has evolved:

1. 2021 – One Kind Word
2. 2022 – Reach Out
3. 2023 – Make a Noise About Bullying
4. 2024 – Choose Respect
5. 2025 – Power for Good
6. 2026 – Break the Silence

The progression shows a move from encouraging communication (“Make a Noise”) to promoting respect and proactive use of influence (“Power for Good”). More details on the 2026 theme can be found on the Anti-Bullying Alliance website.

Is the Theme the Same Across the UK?

Why Does the ‘Power for Good’ Theme Matter?

The theme aligns with restorative practices in schools, which focus on repairing harm and building relationships rather than simply punishing behaviour. It directly addresses the rise of cyberbullying by emphasising that power can be used positively in digital spaces too. Evidence from Anti-Bullying Alliance reports highlights the impact of positive role models: when peers intervene or offer support, bullying incidents are more likely to stop. Compared with previous themes, “Power for Good” marks a shift from reactive messages to proactive ones, encouraging everyone to see themselves as part of the solution. For those interested in broader educational contexts, information on GCSE Grade Boundaries 2024 can provide additional perspective on school system pressures.

What Do the Organisers Say About Anti-Bullying Week 2025?

“Anti-Bullying Week 2025 is the perfect opportunity for everyone – children, teachers, and parents – to use their power for good.”

— Anti-Bullying Alliance (campaign messaging)

“We want to encourage everyone to take action and make a positive difference.”

— BBC Teach (teacher resources page)

“Odd Socks Day is a fun way to start the conversation about bullying and celebrating what makes us different.”

— Anti-Bullying Alliance (common campaign line)

How Can Schools and Families Get Involved?

Schools can download the official resource pack from the Anti-Bullying Alliance, plan an Odd Socks Day event, and use the free assembly guide to run student-led assemblies. Families can talk to their children about bullying, wear odd socks on Monday 10 November, and support school events. Further guidance is available from the UK Government bullying prevention page. For those interested in related wellbeing roles in schools, information on What Is an Occupational Therapist – UK Role, Salary and Training may be useful for understanding support systems.

Frequently Asked Questions About Anti-Bullying Week 2025